_The letter to the Duke of Savoy to stop the persecution of the

Protestants of Piedmont, 1655. Photogravure from an engraving by Sartain

after Newenham_]

10th May, 1654. My Lady Gerrard treated us at Mulberry Garden, now the

only place of refreshment about the town for persons of the best quality

to be exceedingly cheated at; Cromwell and his partisans having shut up

and seized on Spring Garden, which, till now, had been the usual

rendezvous for the ladies and gallants at this season.

11th May, 1654. I now observed how the women began to paint themselves,

formerly a most ignominious thing, and used only by prostitutes.

14th May, 1654. There being no such thing as church anniversaries in the

parochial assemblies, I was forced to provide at home for Whit Sunday.

15th May, 1654. Came Sir Robert Stapylton, the translator of "Juvenal,"

to visit me.

8th June, 1654. My wife and I set out in a coach and four horses, in our

way to visit relations of hers in Wiltshire, and other parts, where we

resolved to spend some months. We dined at Windsor, saw the Castle and

Chapel of St. George, where they have laid our blessed Martyr, King

Charles, in the VAULT JUST BEFORE THE ALTAR. The church and workmanship

in stone is admirable. The Castle itself is large in circumference; but

the rooms melancholy, and of ancient magnificence. The keep, or mount,

hath, besides its incomparable prospect, a very profound well; and the

terrace toward Eton, with the park, meandering Thames, and sweet meadows,

yield one of the most delightful prospects. That night, we lay at

Reading. Saw my Lord Craven's house at Causam [Caversham], now in ruins,

his goodly woods felling by the Rebels.

9th June, 1654. Dined at Marlborough, which having been lately fired, was

now new built. At one end of this town, we saw my Lord Seymour's house,

but nothing observable save the Mount, to which we ascended by windings

for near half a mile. It seems to have been cast up by hand. We passed by

Colonel Popham's, a noble seat, park, and river. Thence, to Newbury, a

considerable town, and Donnington, famous for its battle, siege, and

castle, this last had been in the possession of old Geoffrey Chaucer.

Then to Aldermaston, a house of Sir Humphrey Forster's, built _à la

moderne_. Also, that exceedingly beautiful seat of my Lord Pembroke, on

the ascent of hill, flanked with wood, and regarding the river, and so,

at night, to Cadenham, the mansion of Edward Hungerford, Esq., uncle to

my wife, where we made some stay. The rest of the week we did nothing but

feast and make good cheer, to welcome my wife.

27th June, 1654. We all went to see Bath, where I bathed in the cross

bath. Among the rest of the idle diversions of the town, one musician was

famous for acting a changeling, which indeed he personated strangely.

The _facciáta_ of this cathedral is remarkable for its historical

carving. The King's Bath is esteemed the fairest in Europe. The town is

entirely built of stone, but the streets narrow, uneven and unpleasant.

Here, we trifled and bathed, and intervisited with the company who

frequent the place for health, till the 30th, and then went to Bristol, a

city emulating London, not for its large extent, but manner of building,

shops, bridge, traffic, exchange, market-place, etc. The governor showed

us the castle, of no great concernment. The city wholly mercantile, as

standing near the famous Severn, commodiously for Ireland, and the

Western world. Here I first saw the manner of refining sugar and casting

it into loaves, where we had a collection of eggs fried in the sugar

furnace, together with excellent Spanish wine. But, what appeared most

stupendous to me, was the rock of St. Vincent, a little distance from the

town, the precipice whereof is equal to anything of that nature I have

seen in the most confragose cataracts of the Alps, the river gliding

between them at an extraordinary depth. Here, we went searching for

diamonds, and to the Hot Wells, at its foot. There is also on the side of

this horrid Alp a very romantic seat: and so we returned to Bath in the

evening, and July 1st to Cadenham.

4th July, 1654. On a letter from my wife's uncle, Mr. Pretyman, I waited

back on her to London, passing by Hungerford, a town famous for its

trouts, and the next day arrived at Deptford, which was 60 miles, in the

extremity of heat.

[Sidenote: OXFORD]

6th July, 1654. I went early to London, and the following day met my wife

and company at Oxford, the eve of the Act.

8th July, 1654. Was spent in hearing several exercises in the schools;

and, after dinner, the Proctor opened the Act at St. Mary's (according to

custom), and the Prevaricators, their drollery. Then, the Doctors

disputed. We supped at Wadham College.

9th July, 1654. Dr. French preached at St. Mary's, on Matt. xii. 42,

advising the students the search after true wisdom, not to be had in the

books of philosophers, but in the Scriptures alone. In the afternoon, the

famous Independent, Dr. Owen, perstringing Episcopacy. He was now

Cromwell's Vice-Chancellor. We dined with Dr. Ward, Mathematical

Professor (since Bishop of Sarum), and at night supped in Baliol College

Hall, where I had once been student and fellow-commoner, and where they

made me extraordinarily welcome.

10th July, 1654. On Monday, I went again to the schools, to hear the

several faculties, and in the afternoon tarried out the whole Act in St.

Mary's, the long speeches of the Proctors, the Vice-Chancellor, the

several Professors, creation of Doctors, by the cap, ring, kiss, etc.,

those ancient ceremonies and institution being as yet not wholly

abolished. Dr. Kendal, now Inceptor among others, performing his Act

incomparably well, concluded it with an excellent oration, abating his

Presbyterian animosities, which he withheld, not even against that

learned and pious divine, Dr. Hammond. The Act was closed with the speech

of the Vice-Chancellor, there being but four in theology, and three in

medicine, which was thought a considerable matter, the times considered.

I dined at one Monsieur Fiat's, a student of Exeter College, and supped

at a magnificent entertainment of Wadham Hall, invited by my dear and

excellent friend, Dr. Wilkins, then Warden (after, Bishop of Chester).

11th July, 1654. Was the Latin sermon, which I could not be at, though

invited, being taken up at All Souls, where we had music, voices, and

theorbos, performed by some ingenious scholars. After dinner, I visited

that miracle of a youth, Mr. Christopher Wren, nephew to the Bishop of

Ely. Then Mr. Barlow (since Bishop of Lincoln), bibliothecarius of the

Bodleian Library, my most learned friend. He showed us the rarities of

that most famous place, manuscripts, medals, and other curiosities. Among

the MSS. an old English Bible, wherein the Eunuch mentioned to be

baptized by Philip, is called the Gelding: "and Philip and the Gelding

went down into the water," etc. The original Acts of the Council of Basil

900 years since, with the _bulla_, or leaden affix, which has a silken

cord passing through every parchment; a MS. of Venerable Bede of 800

years antiquity; the old Ritual _secundum usum Sarum_ exceeding

voluminous; then, among the nicer curiosities, the "Proverbs of Solomon,"

written in French by a lady, every chapter of a several character, or

hand, the most exquisite imaginable; an hieroglyphical table, or carta,

folded up like a map, I suppose it painted on asses' hide, extremely

rare; but, what is most illustrious, there were no less than 1,000 MSS.

in nineteen languages, especially Oriental, furnishing that new part of

the library built by Archbishop Laud, from a design of Sir Kenelm Digby

and the Earl of Pembroke. In the closet of the tower, they show some

Indian weapons, urns, lamps, etc., but the rarest is the whole Alcoran,

written on one large sheet of calico, made up in a priest's vesture, or

cope, after the Turkish and Arabic character, so exquisitely written, as

no printed letter comes near it; also, a roll of magical charms, divers

talismans, and some medals.

Then, I led my wife into the Convocation House, finely wainscoted; the

Divinity School, and Gothic carved roof; the Physic, or Anatomy School,

adorned with some rarities of natural things; but nothing extraordinary

save the skin of a jackal, a rarely-colored jackatoo, or prodigious large

parrot, two humming birds, not much bigger than our bumblebee, which

indeed I had not seen before, that I remember.

12th July, 1654. We went to St. John's, saw the library and the two

skeletons, which are finely cleansed and put together; observable is here

also the store of mathematical instruments, chiefly given by the late

Archbishop Laud, who built here a handsome quadrangle.

Thence we went to New College, where the chapel was in its ancient garb,

notwithstanding the scrupulosity of the times. Thence, to Christ's

Church, in whose library was shown us an Office of Henry VIII., the

writing, miniatures, and gilding whereof is equal, if not surpassing, any

curiosity I had seen of that kind; it was given by their founder,

Cardinal Wolsey. The glass windows of the cathedral (famous in my time)

I found much abused. The ample hall and column, that spreads its capital

to sustain the roof as one goes up the stairs, is very remarkable.

Next we walked to Magdalen College, where we saw the library and chapel,

which was likewise in pontifical order, the altar only I think turned

tablewise, and there was still the double organ, which abominations (as

now esteemed) were almost universally demolished; Mr. Gibbon, that famous

musician, giving us a taste of his skill and talents on that instrument.

Hence, to the Physic Garden, where the sensitive plant was shown us for a

great wonder. There grew canes, olive trees, rhubarb, but no

extraordinary curiosities, besides very good fruit, which, when the

ladies had tasted, we returned in our coach to our lodgings.

13th July, 1654. We all dined at that most obliging and

universally-curious Dr. Wilkins's, at Wadham College. He was the first

who showed me the transparent apiaries, which he had built like castles

and palaces, and so ordered them one upon another, as to take the honey

without destroying the bees. These were adorned with a variety of dials,

little statues, vanes, etc.; and, he was so abundantly civil, finding me

pleased with them, to present me with one of the hives which he had

empty, and which I afterward had in my garden at Sayes Court, where it

continued many years, and which his Majesty came on purpose to see and

contemplate with much satisfaction. He had also contrived a hollow

statue, which gave a voice and uttered words by a long, concealed pipe

that went to its mouth,[49] while one speaks through it at a good

distance. He had, above in his lodgings and gallery, variety of shadows,

dials, perspectives, and many other artificial, mathematical, and magical

curiosities, a waywiser, a thermometer, a monstrous magnet, conic, and

other sections, a balance on a demi-circle; most of them of his own, and

that prodigious young scholar Mr. Christopher Wren, who presented me with

a piece of white marble, which he had stained with a lively red, very

deep, as beautiful as if it had been natural.

[Footnote 49: Such were the speaking figures long ago exhibited in

Spring Gardens, and in Leicester Fields.]

Thus satisfied with the civilities of Oxford, we left it, dining at

Farringdon, a town which had been newly fired during the wars; and,

passing near the seat of Sir Walter Pye, we came to Cadenham.

16th July, 1654. We went to another uncle and relative of my wife's, Sir

John Glanville, a famous lawyer, formerly Speaker of the House of

Commons; his seat is at Broad Hinton, where he now lived but in the

gate-house, his very fair dwelling house having been burnt by his own

hands, to prevent the rebels making a garrison of it. Here, my cousin

William Glanville's eldest son showed me such a lock for a door, that for

its filing, and rare contrivances was a masterpiece, yet made by a

country blacksmith. But, we have seen watches made by another with as

much curiosity as the best of that profession can brag of; and, not many

years after, there was nothing more frequent than all sorts of ironwork

more exquisitely wrought and polished than in any part of Europe, so as a

door lock of a tolerable price was esteemed a curiosity even among

foreign princes.

Went back to Cadenham, and, on the 19th, to Sir Edward Baynton's at Spie

Park, a place capable of being made a noble seat; but the humorous old

knight has built a long single house of two low stories on the precipice

of an incomparable prospect, and landing on a bowling-green in the park.

The house is like a long barn, and has not a window on the prospect side.

After dinner, they went to bowls, and, in the meantime, our coachmen were

made so exceedingly drunk, that in returning home we escaped great

dangers. This, it seems, was by order of the knight, that all gentlemen's

servants be so treated; but the custom is barbarous, and much unbecoming

a knight still less a Christian.

[Sidenote: SALISBURY]

20th July, 1654. We proceeded to Salisbury; the cathedral I take to be

the most complete piece of Gothic work in Europe, taken in all its

uniformity. The pillars, reputed to be cast, are of stone manifestly cut

out of the quarry; most observable are those in the chapter house. There

are some remarkable monuments, particularly the ancient Bishops, founders

of the Church, Knights Templars, the Marquis of Hertford's, the cloisters

of the palace and garden, and the great mural dial.

In the afternoon we went to Wilton, a fine house of the Earl of Pembroke,

in which the most observable are the dining room in the modern-built

part toward the garden, richly gilded and painted with story, by De

Crete; also some other apartments, as that of hunting landscapes, by

Pierce; some magnificent chimney-pieces, after the best French manner; a

pair of artificial winding stairs of stone, and divers rare pictures. The

garden, heretofore esteemed the noblest in England, is a large handsome

plain, with a grotto and waterworks, which might be made much more

pleasant, were the river that passes through cleansed and raised; for all

is effected by a mere force. It has a flower garden, not inelegant. But,

after all, that which renders the seat delightful is, its being so near

the downs and noble plains about the country contiguous to it. The

stables are well ordered and yield a graceful front, by reason of the

walks of lime trees, with the court and fountain of the stables adorned

with the Cæsars' heads.

We returned this evening by the plain, and fourteen-mile race, where out

of my lord's hare warren we were entertained with a long course of a hare

for near two miles in sight. Near this, is a _pergola_, or stand, built

to view the sports; and so we came to Salisbury, and saw the most

considerable parts of the city. The market place, with most of the

streets, are watered by a quick current and pure stream running through

the middle of them, but are negligently kept, when with a small charge

they might be purged and rendered infinitely agreeable, and this made one

of the sweetest towns, but now the common buildings are despicable, and

the streets dirty.

22d July, 1654. We departed and dined at a farm of my Uncle Hungerford's,

called Darnford Magna, situated in a valley under the plain, most sweetly

watered, abounding in trouts caught by spear in the night, when they come

attracted by a light set in the stern of a boat.

After dinner, continuing our return, we passed over the goodly plain, or

rather sea of carpet, which I think for evenness, extent, verdure, and

innumerable flocks, to be one of the most delightful prospects in nature,

and reminded me of the pleasant lives of shepherds we read of in

romances.

Now we arrived at Stonehenge, indeed a stupendous monument, appearing at

a distance like a castle; how so many and huge pillars of stone should

have been brought together, some erect, others transverse on the tops of

them, in a circular area as rudely representing a cloister or heathen and

more natural temple, is wonderful. The stone is so exceedingly hard, that

all my strength with a hammer could not break a fragment; which hardness

I impute to their so long exposure. To number them exactly is very

difficult, they lie in such variety of postures and confusion, though

they seemed not to exceed 100; we counted only 95. As to their being

brought thither, there being no navigable river near, is by some admired;

but for the stone, there seems to be the same kind about 20 miles

distant, some of which appear above ground. About the same hills, are

divers mounts raised, conceived to be ancient intrenchments, or places of

burial, after bloody fights. We now went by Devizes, a reasonable large

town, and came late to Cadenham.

27th July, 1654. To the hunting of a sorel deer, and had excellent chase

for four or five hours, but the venison little worth.

29th July, 1654. I went to Langford to see my Cousin Stephens. I also saw

Dryfield, the house heretofore of Sir John Pretyman, grandfather to my

wife, and sold by her uncle; both the seat and house very honorable and

well built, much after the modern fashion.

31st July, 1654. Taking leave of Cadenham, where we had been long and

nobly entertained, we went a compass into Leicestershire, where dwelt

another relation of my wife's; for I indeed made these excursions to show

her the most considerable parts of her native country, who, from her

childhood, had lived altogether in France, as well as for my own

curiosity and information.

[Sidenote: GLOUCESTER]

About two miles before coming to Gloucester, we have a prospect from

woody hills into a most goodly vale and country. Gloucester is a handsome

city, considerable for the church and monuments. The minster is indeed a

noble fabric. The whispering gallery is rare, being through a passage of

twenty-five yards in a many-angled cloister, and was, I suppose, either

to show the skill of the architect, or some invention of a cunning

priest, who, standing unseen in a recess in the middle of the chapel,

might hear whatever was spoken at either end. This is above the choir, in

which lies buried King Stephen[50] under a monument of Irish oak, not ill

carved considering the age. The new library is a noble though a private

design. I was likewise pleased with the Severn gliding so sweetly by it.

The Duke's house, the castle works, are now almost quite dismantled; nor

yet without sad thoughts did I see the town, considering how fatal the

siege had been a few years before to our good King.

[Footnote 50: King Stephen was buried at Faversham. The effigy

Evelyn alluded to is that of Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy.]

1st August, 1654. We set out toward Worcester, by a way thickly planted

with cider fruit. We deviated to the Holy Wells, trickling out of a

valley through a steep declivity toward the foot of the great Malvern

Hills; they are said to heal many infirmities, as king's evil, leprosy,

sore eyes, etc. Ascending a great height above them to the trench

dividing England from South Wales, we had the prospect of all

Herefordshire, Radnor, Brecknoch, Monmouth, Worcester, Gloucester,

Shropshire, Warwick, Derbyshires, and many more. We could discern

Tewkesbury, King's road, toward Bristol, etc.; so as I esteem it one of

the goodliest vistas in England.

2d August, 1654. This evening we arrived at Worcester, the Judges of

Assize and Sheriff just entering as we did. Viewing the town the next

day, we found the Cathedral much ruined by the late wars, otherwise a

noble structure. The town is neatly paved and very clean, the goodly

river Severn running by it, and standing in a most fertile country.

3d August, 1654. We passed next through Warwick, and saw the castle, the

dwelling house of the Lord Brook, and the furniture noble. It is built on

an eminent rock which gives prospect into a most goodly green, a woody

and plentifully watered country; the river running so delightfully under

it, that it may pass for one of the most surprising seats one should meet

with. The gardens are prettily disposed; but might be much improved. Here

they showed us Sir Guy's great two-handed sword, staff, horse-arms, pot,

and other relics of that famous knight-errant. Warwick is a fair old

town, and hath one church full of ancient monuments.

Having viewed these, I went to visit my worthy friend, Sir H. Puckering,

at the Abbey, and though a melancholy old seat, yet in a rich soil.

Hence to Sir Guy's grot, where they say he did his penances, and died. It

is a squalid den made in the rock, crowned yet with venerable oaks and

looking on a goodly stream, so as, were it improved as it might be, it

were capable of being made a most romantic and pleasant place. Near this,

we were showed his chapel and gigantic statue hewn out of the solid rock,

out of which there are likewise divers other caves cut, and some very

capacious.

The next place to Coventry. The cross is remarkable for Gothic work and

rich gilding, comparable to any I had ever seen, except that of Cheapside

in London, now demolished. This city has many handsome churches, a

beautiful wall, a fair free school and library to it; the streets full of

great shops, clean and well paved. At going forth the gate, they show us

the bone, or rib, of a wild boar, said to have been killed by Sir Guy,

but which I take to be the chine of a whale.

[Sidenote: LEICESTER]

4th August, 1654. Hence, riding through a considerable part of

Leicestershire, an open, rich, but unpleasant country, we came late in

the evening to Horninghold, a seat of my wife's uncle.

7th August, 1654. Went to Uppingham, the shire town of Rutland, pretty

and well built of stone, which is a rarity in that part of England, where

most of the rural parishes are but of mud; and the people living as

wretchedly as in the most impoverished parts of France, which they much

resemble, being idle and sluttish. The country (especially

Leicestershire) much in common; the gentry free drinkers.

9th August, 1654. To the old and ragged city of Leicester, large and

pleasantly seated, but despicably built, the chimney flues like so many

smiths' forges; however, famous for the tomb of the tyrant, Richard III.,

which is now converted to a cistern, at which (I think) cattle drink.

Also, here in one of the churches lies buried the magnificent Cardinal

Wolsey. John of Gaunt has here also built a large but poor hospital, near

which a wretch has made him a house out of the ruins of a stately church.

Saw the ruins of an old Roman Temple, thought to be of Janus. Entertained

at a very fine collection of fruits, such as I did not expect to meet

with so far North, especially very good melons. We returned to my

uncle's.

14th August, 1654. I took a journey into the Northern parts, riding

through Oakham, a pretty town in Rutlandshire, famous for the tenure of

the Barons (Ferrers), who hold it by taking off a shoe from every

nobleman's horse that passes with his lord through the street, unless

redeemed with a certain piece of money. In token of this, are several

gilded shoes nailed up on the castle gate, which seems to have been large

and fair. Hence, we went by Brook, a very sweet seat and park of the old

Lady Camden's. Next, by Burleigh House, belonging to the Duke of

Buckingham, and worthily reckoned among the noblest seats in England,

situate on the brow of a hill, built _à la moderne_ near a park walled

in, and a fine wood at the descent.

Now we were come to Cottsmore, a pretty seat belonging to Mr. Heath, son

of the late Lord Chief Justice of that name. Here, after dinner, parting

with the company that conducted us thus far, I passed that evening by

Belvoir Castle, built on a round mount at the point of a long ridge of

hills, which affords a stately prospect, and is famous for its strenuous

resistance in the late civil war.

Went by Newark-on-Trent, a brave town and garrison. Next, by Wharton

House, belonging to the Lord Chaworth, a handsome seat; then by Home, a

noble place belonging to the Marquis of Dorchester, and passed the famous

river Trent, which divides the South from the North of England; and so

lay that night at Nottingham.

This whole town and county seems to be but one entire rock, as it were,

an exceedingly pleasant shire, full of gentry. Here, I observed divers to

live in the rocks and caves, much after the manner as about Tours, in

France. The church is well built on an eminence; there is a fair house of

the Lord Clare's, another of Pierrepont's; an ample market place; large

streets, full of crosses; the relics of an ancient castle, hollowed

beneath which are many caverns, especially that of the Scots' King, and

his work while there.

This place is remarkable for being the place where his Majesty first

erected his standard at the beginning of our late unhappy differences.

The prospects from this city toward the river and meadows are most

delightful.

15th August, 1654. We passed next through Sherwood Forest, accounted the

most extensive in England. Then, Paplewick, an incomparable vista with

the pretty castle near it. Thence, we saw Newstead Abbey, belonging to

the Lord Byron, situated much like Fontainebleau in France, capable of

being made a noble seat, accommodated as it is with brave woods and

streams; it has yet remaining the front of a glorious abbey church. Next,

by Mansfield town; then Welbeck, the house of the Marquis of Newcastle,

seated in a bottom in a park, and environed with woods, a noble yet

melancholy seat. The palace is a handsome and stately building. Next to

Worksop Abbey, almost demolished; the church has a double flat tower

entire, and a pretty gate. The manor belongs to the Earl of Arundel, and

has to it a fair house at the foot of a hill in a park that affords a

delicate prospect. Tickel, a town and castle, has a very noble prospect.

All these in Nottinghamshire.

16th August, 1654. We arrived at Doncaster, where we lay this night; it

is a large fair town, famous for great wax lights, and good stockings.

17th August, 1654. Passed through Pontefract; the castle famous for many

sieges both of late and ancient times, and the death of that unhappy King

murdered in it (Richard II.), was now demolishing by the Rebels; it

stands on a mount, and makes a goodly show at a distance. The Queen has a

house here, and there are many fair seats near it, especially Mr.

Pierrepont's, built at the foot of a hill out of the castle ruins. We all

alighted in the highway to drink at a crystal spring, which they call

Robin Hood's Well; near it, is a stone chair, and an iron ladle to drink

out of, chained to the seat. We rode to Tadcaster, at the side of which

we have prospect of the Archbishop's Palace (which is a noble seat), and

in sight of divers other gentlemen's fair houses. This tract is a goodly,

fertile, well-watered, and wooded country, abounding with pasture and

plenty of provisions.

[Sidenote: YORK]

To York, the second city of England, fairly walled, of a circular form,

watered by the brave river Ouse, bearing vessels of considerable burden

on it; over it is a stone bridge emulating that of London, and built on;

the middle arch is larger than any I have seen in England, with a wharf

of hewn stone, which makes the river appear very neat. But most

remarkable and worth seeing is St. Peter's Cathedral, which of all the

great churches in England had been best preserved from the fury of the

sacrilegious, by composition with the Rebels when they took the city,

during the many incursions of Scotch and others. It is a most entire

magnificent piece of Gothic architecture. The screen before the choir is

of stone carved with flowers, running work and statues of the old kings.

Many of the monuments are very ancient. Here, as a great rarity in these

days and at this time, they showed me a Bible and Common Prayer Book

covered with crimson velvet, and richly embossed with silver gilt; also a

service for the altar of gilt wrought plate, flagons, basin, ewer,

plates, chalices, patins, etc., with a gorgeous covering for the altar

and pulpit, carefully preserved in the vestry, in the hollow wall whereof

rises a plentiful spring of excellent water. I got up to the tower,

whence we had a prospect toward Durham, and could see Ripon, part of

Lancashire, the famous and fatal Marston Moor, the Spas of Knaresborough,

and all the environs of that admirable country. Sir ---- Ingoldsby has

here a large house, gardens, and tennis court; also the King's house and

church near the castle, which was modernly fortified with a palisade and

bastions. The streets are narrow and ill-paved, the shops like London.

18th August, 1654. We went to Beverley, a large town with two stately

churches, St. John's and St. Mary's, not much inferior to the best of our

cathedrals. Here a very old woman showed us the monuments, and, being

above 100 years of age, spoke the language of Queen Mary's days, in whose

time she was born; she was widow of a sexton who had belonged to the

church a hundred years.

Hence, we passed through a fenny but rich country to Hull, situated like

Calais, modernly and strongly fortified with three block-houses of brick

and earth. It has a good market place and harbor for ships. Famous also

(or rather infamous) is this town for Hotham's refusing entrance to his

Majesty. The water-house is worth seeing. And here ends the south of

Yorkshire.

[Sidenote: LINCOLN]

19th August, 1654. We pass the Humber, an arm of the sea of about two

leagues breadth. The weather was bad, but we crossed it in a good barge

to Barton, the first town in that part of Lincolnshire. All marsh ground

till we came to Brigg, famous for the plantations of licorice, and then

had brave pleasant riding to Lincoln, much resembling Salisbury Plain.

Lincoln is an old confused town, very long, uneven, steep, and ragged;

formerly full of good houses, especially churches and abbeys. The Minster

almost comparable to that of York itself, abounding with marble pillars,

and having a fair front (herein was interred Queen Eleanora, the loyal

and loving wife who sucked the poison out of her husband's wound); the

abbot founder, with rare carving in the stone; the great bell, or Tom, as

they call it. I went up the steeple, from whence is a goodly prospect all

over the country. The soldiers had lately knocked off most of the brasses

from the gravestones, so as few inscriptions were left; they told us that

these men went in with axes and hammers, and shut themselves in, till

they had rent and torn off some barge loads of metal, not sparing even

the monuments of the dead; so hellish an avarice possessed them: beside

which, they exceedingly ruined the city.

Here, I saw a tall woman six feet two inches high, comely, middle-aged,

and well-proportioned, who kept a very neat and clean alehouse, and got

most by people's coming to see her on account of her height.

20th August, 1654. From hence we had a most pleasant ride over a large

heath open like Salisbury Plain, to Grantham, a pretty town, so well

situated on the side of a bottom which is large and at a distance

environed with ascending grounds, that for pleasure I consider it

comparable to most inland places of England; famous is the steeple for

the exceeding height of the shaft, which is of stone.

About eighteen miles south, we pass by a noble seat, and see Boston at a

distance. Here, we came to a parish of which the parson had tithe ale.

Thence through Rutland, we brought night to Horninghold, from whence I

set out on this excursion.

22d August, 1654. I went a setting and hawking, where we had tolerable

sport.

25th August, 1654. To see Kirby, a very noble house of my Lord Hatton's,

in Northamptonshire, built _à la moderne_; the garden and stables

agreeable, but the avenue ungraceful, and the seat naked: returned that

evening.

27th August, 1654. Mr. Allington preached an excellent discourse from

Romans vi. 19. This was he who published those bold sermons of the

members warring against the mind, or the Jews crucifying Christ, applied

to the wicked regicides; for which he was ruined. We had no sermon in the

afternoon.

30th August, 1654. Taking leave of my friends, who had now feasted me

more than a month, I, with my wife, etc., set our faces toward home, and

got this evening to Peterborough, passing by a stately palace (Thorpe) of

St. John's (one deep in the blood of our good king), built out of the

ruins of the Bishop's palace and cloister. The church is exceeding fair,

full of monuments of great antiquity. Here lies Queen Catherine, the

unhappy wife of Henry VIII., and the no less unfortunate Mary, Queen of

Scots. On the steeple, we viewed the fens of Lincolnshire, now much

inclosed and drained with infinite expense, and by many sluices, cuts,

mounds, and ingenious mills, and the like inventions; at which the city

and country about it consisting of a poor and very lazy sort of people,

were much displeased.

Peterborough is a handsome town, and hath another well-built church.

31st August, 1654. Through part of Huntingdonshire, we passed that town,

fair and ancient, a river running by it. The country about it so abounds

in wheat that, when any King of England passes through it, they have a

custom to meet him with a hundred plows.

[Sidenote: CAMBRIDGE]

This evening, to Cambridge; and went first to St. John's College, well

built of brick, and library, which I think is the fairest of that

University. One Mr. Benlowes has given it all the ornaments of _pietra

commessa_,[51] whereof a table and one piece of perspective is very fine;

other trifles there also be of no great value, besides a vast old

song-book, or Service, and some fair manuscripts. There hangs in the

library the picture of John Williams, Archbishop of York, sometime Lord

Keeper, my kinsman, and their great benefactor.

[Footnote 51: Marble, inlaid of various colors, representing

flowers, birds, etc.]

Trinity College is said by some to be the fairest quadrangle of any

university in Europe; but in truth is far inferior to that of Christ

Church, in Oxford; the hall is ample and of stone, the fountain in the

quadrangle is graceful, the chapel and library fair. There they showed us

the prophetic manuscript of the famous Grebner, but the passage and

emblem which they would apply to our late King, is manifestly relating to

the Swedish; in truth, it seems to be a mere fantastic rhapsody, however

the title may bespeak strange revelations. There is an office in

manuscript with fine miniatures, and some other antiquities, given by the

Countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VIII., and the before-mentioned

Archbishop Williams, when Bishop of Lincoln. The library is pretty well

stored. The Greek Professor had me into another large quadrangle

cloistered and well built, and gave us a handsome collation in his own

chamber.

Thence to Caius, and afterward to King's College, where I found the

chapel altogether answered expectation, especially the roof, all of

stone, which for the flatness of its laying and carving may, I conceive,

vie with any in Christendom. The contignation of the roof (which I went

upon), weight, and artificial joining of the stones is admirable. The

lights are also very fair. In one aisle lies the famous Dr. Collins, so

celebrated for his fluency in the Latin tongue. From this roof we could

descry Ely, and the encampment of Sturbridge fair now beginning to set up

their tents and booths; also Royston, Newmarket, etc., houses belonging

to the King. The library is too narrow.

Clare-Hall is of a new and noble design, but not finished.

Peter-House, formerly under the government of my worthy friend, Dr.

Joseph Cosin, Dean of Peterborough; a pretty neat college, having a

delicate chapel. Next to Sidney, a fine college.

Catherine-Hall, though a mean structure, is yet famous for the learned

Bishop Andrews, once Master. Emanuel College, that zealous house, where

to the hall they have a parlor for the Fellows. The chapel is reformed,

_ab origine_, built north and south, and meanly erected, as is the

library.

Jesus-College, one of the best built, but in a melancholy situation. Next

to Christ-College, a very noble erection, especially the modern part,

built without the quadrangle toward the gardens, of exact architecture.

The Schools are very despicable, and Public Library but mean, though

somewhat improved by the wainscoting and books lately added by the Bishop

Bancroft's library and MSS. They showed us little of antiquity, only King

James's Works, being his own gift, and kept very reverently.

The market place is very ample, and remarkable for old Hobson, the

pleasant carrier's beneficence of a fountain.[52] But the whole town is

situate in a low, dirty, unpleasant place, the streets ill-paved, the air

thick and infected by the fens, nor are its churches, (of which St.

Mary's is the best) anything considerable in compare to Oxford.[53]

[Footnote 52: A conduit it should rather be called.]

[Footnote 53: The reader must remember that an Oxford man is

speaking.]

From Cambridge, we went to Audley-End, and spent some time in seeing that

goodly place built by Howard, Earl of Suffolk, once Lord Treasurer. It is

a mixed fabric, between antique and modern, but observable for its being

completely finished, and without comparison is one of the stateliest

palaces in the kingdom. It consists of two courts, the first very large,

winged with cloisters. The front had a double entrance; the hall is fair,

but somewhat too small for so august a pile. The kitchen is very large,

as are the cellars, arched with stone, very neat and well disposed; these

offices are joined by a wing out of the way very handsomely. The gallery

is the most cheerful and I think one of the best in England; a fair

dining-room, and the rest of the lodgings answerable, with a pretty

chapel. The gardens are not in order, though well inclosed. It has also a

bowling-alley, a noble well-walled, wooded and watered park, full of fine

_collines_ and ponds: the river glides before the palace, to which is an

avenue of lime trees, but all this is much diminished by its being placed

in an obscure bottom. For the rest, is a perfectly uniform structure, and

shows without like a diadem, by the decorations of the cupolas and other

ornaments on the pavilions; instead of rails and balusters, there is a

border of capital letters, as was lately also on Suffolk-House, near

Charing-Cross, built by the same Lord Treasurer.

This house stands in the parish of Saffron Walden, famous for the

abundance of saffron there cultivated, and esteemed the best of any

foreign country.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

3d October, 1654. Having dined here, we passed through Bishop Stortford,

a pretty watered town, and so by London, late home to Sayes Court, after

a journey of 700 miles, but for the variety an agreeable refreshment

after my turmoil and building.

10th October, 1654. To my brother at Wotton, who had been sick.

14th October, 1654. I went to visit my noble friend Mr. Hyldiard, where I

met that learned gentleman, my Lord Aungier, and Dr. Stokes, one of his

Majesty's chaplains.

15th October, 1654. To Betchworth Castle, to Sir Ambrose Browne, and

other gentlemen of my sweet and native country.

24th October, 1654. The good old parson, Higham, preached at Wotton

Church: a plain preacher, but innocent and honest man.

23d November, 1654. I went to London, to visit my cousin Fanshawe, and

this day I saw one of the rarest collections of agates, onyxes, and

intaglios, that I had ever seen either at home or abroad, collected by a

conceited old hatmaker in Blackfriars, especially one agate vase,

heretofore the great Earl of Leicester's.

28th November, 1654. Came Lady Langham, a kinswoman of mine, to visit us;

also one Captain Cooke, esteemed the best singer, after the Italian

manner, of any in England; he entertained us with his voice and theorbo.

30th November, 1654. My birthday, being the 34th year of my age: blessing

God for his providence, I went to London to visit my brother.

3d December, 1654. Advent Sunday. There being no Office at the church but

extemporary prayers after the Presbyterian way, for now all forms were

prohibited, and most of the preachers were usurpers, I seldom went to

church upon solemn feasts; but, either went to London, where some of the

orthodox sequestered divines did privately use the Common Prayer,

administer sacraments, etc., or else I procured one to officiate in my

house; wherefore, on the 10th, Dr. Richard Owen, the sequestered minister

of Eltham, preached to my family in my library, and gave us the Holy

Communion.

25th December, 1654. Christmas day. No public offices in churches, but

penalties on observers, so as I was constrained to celebrate it at home.

1st January, 1654-55. Having with my family performed the public offices

of the day, and begged a blessing on the year I was now entering, I went

to keep the rest of Christmas at my brother's, R. Evelyn, at Woodcot.

19th January, 1655. My wife was brought to bed of another son, being my

third, but second living. Christened on the 26th by the name of John.

28th January, 1655. A stranger preached from Colossians iii. 2, inciting

our affections to the obtaining heavenly things. I understood afterward

that this man had been both chaplain and lieutenant to Admiral Penn,

using both swords; whether ordained or not I cannot say; into such times

were we fallen!

24th February, 1655. I was showed a table clock whose balance was only a

crystal ball, sliding on parallel wires, without being at all fixed, but

rolling from stage to stage till falling on a spring concealed from

sight, it was thrown up to the utmost channel again, made with an

imperceptible declivity, in this continual vicissitude of motion prettily

entertaining the eye every half minute, and the next half giving progress

to the hand that showed the hour, and giving notice by a small bell, so

as in 120 half minutes, or periods of the bullet's falling on the

ejaculatory spring, the clock part struck. This very extraordinary piece

(richly adorned) had been presented by some German prince to our late

king, and was now in the possession of the usurper; valued at £200.

2d March, 1655. Mr. Simpson, the King's jeweler, showed me a most rich

agate cup, of an escalop-shape, and having a figure of Cleopatra at the

scroll, her body, hair, mantle, and veil, of the several natural colors.

It was supported by a half Mark Antony, the colors rarely natural, and

the work truly antique, but I conceived they were of several pieces; had

they been all of one stone, it were invaluable.

18th March, 1655. Went to London, on purpose to hear that excellent

preacher, Dr. Jeremy Taylor, on Matt. xiv. 17, showing what were the

conditions of obtaining eternal life; also, concerning abatements for

unavoidable infirmities, how cast on the accounts of the cross. On the

31st, I made a visit to Dr. Jeremy Taylor, to confer with him about some

spiritual matters, using him thenceforward as my ghostly father. I

beseech God Almighty to make me ever mindful of, and thankful for, his

heavenly assistances!

2d April, 1655. This was the first week, that, my uncle Pretyman being

parted with his family from me, I began housekeeping, till now sojourning

with him in my own house.

9th April, 1655. I went to see the great ship newly built by the usurper,

Oliver, carrying ninety-six brass guns, and 1,000 tons burden. In the

prow was Oliver on horseback, trampling six nations under foot, a Scot,

Irishman, Dutchman, Frenchman, Spaniard, and English, as was easily made

out by their several habits. A Fame held a laurel over his insulting

head; the word, GOD WITH US.

15th April, 1655. I went to London with my family, to celebrate the feast

of Easter. Dr. Wild preached at St. Gregory's; the ruling Powers

conniving at the use of the Liturgy, etc., in the church alone. In the

afternoon, Mr. Pierson (since Bishop of Chester) preached at Eastcheap,

but was disturbed by an alarm of fire, which about this time was very

frequent in the city.

29th May, 1655. I sold Preston to Colonel Morley.

17th June, 1655. There was a collection for the persecuted churches and

Christians in Savoy, remnants of the ancient Albigenses.

3d July, 1655. I was shown a pretty Terella, described with all the

circles, and showing all the magnetic deviations.

14th July, 1655. Came Mr. Pratt, my old acquaintance at Rome, also Sir

Edward Hales, Sir Joseph Tufton, with Mr. Seymour.

1st August, 1655. I went to Dorking, to see Mr. Charles Howard's

amphitheater, garden, or solitary recess, being fifteen acres environed

by a hill. He showed us divers rare plants, caves, and an elaboratory.

[Sidenote: ALBURY]

10th August, 1655. To Albury, to visit Mr. Howard, who had begun to

build, and alter the gardens much. He showed me many rare pictures,

particularly the Moor on horseback; Erasmus, as big as the life, by

Holbein; a Madonna, in miniature, by Oliver; but, above all, the skull,

carved in wood, by Albert Durer, for which his father was offered £100;

also Albert's head, by himself, with divers rare agates, intaglios, and

other curiosities.

21st August, 1655. I went to Ryegate, to visit Mrs. Cary, at my Lady

Peterborough's, in an ancient monastery well in repair, but the park much

defaced; the house is nobly furnished. The chimney-piece in the great

chamber, carved in wood, was of Henry VIII., and was taken from a house

of his in Bletchingley. At Ryegate, was now the Archbishop of Armagh, the

learned James Usher, whom I went to visit. He received me exceeding

kindly. In discourse with him, he told me how great the loss of time was

to study much the Eastern languages; that, excepting Hebrew, there was

little fruit to be gathered of exceeding labor; that, besides some

mathematical books, the Arabic itself had little considerable; that the

best text was the Hebrew Bible; that the Septuagint was finished in

seventy days, but full of errors, about which he was then writing; that

St. Hierome's was to be valued next the Hebrew; also that the seventy

translated the Pentateuch only, the rest was finished by others; that the

Italians at present understood but little Greek, and Kircher was a

mountebank; that Mr. Selden's best book was his "Titles of Honor"; that

the church would be destroyed by sectaries, who would in all likelihood

bring in Popery. In conclusion he recommended to me the study of

philology, above all human studies; and so, with his blessing, I took my

leave of this excellent person, and returned to Wotton.

27th August, 1655. I went to Boxhill, to see those rare natural bowers,

cabinets, and shady walks in the box copses: hence we walked to

Mickleham, and saw Sir F. Stidolph's seat, environed with elm trees and

walnuts innumerable, and of which last he told us they received a

considerable revenue. Here are such goodly walks and hills shaded with

yew and box, as render the place extremely agreeable, it seeming from

these evergreens to be summer all the winter.

28th August, 1655. Came that renowned mathematician, Mr. Oughtred, to see

me, I sending my coach to bring him to Wotton, being now very aged. Among

other discourse, he told me he thought water to be the philosopher's

first matter, and that he was well persuaded of the possibility of their

elixir; he believed the sun to be a material fire, the moon a continent,

as appears by the late selenographers; he had strong apprehensions of

some extraordinary event to happen the following year, from the

calculation of coincidence with the diluvian period; and added that it

might possibly be to convert the Jews by our Savior's visible appearance,

or to judge the world; and therefore, his word was, "_Parate in

occursum_"; he said original sin was not met with in the Greek Fathers,

yet he believed the thing; this was from some discourse on Dr. Taylor's

late book, which I had lent him.

16th September, 1655. Preached at St. Gregory's one Darnel, on Psalm iv.

4, concerning the benefit of self-examination; more learning in SO SHORT

A TIME AS AN HOUR I have seldom heard.

17th September, 1655. Received £2,600 of Mr. Hurt, for the Manor of

Warley Magna, in Essex, purchased by me some time since. The taxes were

so intolerable that they ate up the rents, etc., surcharged as that

county had been above all others during our unnatural war.

19th September, 1655. Came to see me Sir Edward Hales, Mr. Ashmole, Mr.

Harlakenton, and Mr. Thornhill: and, the next day, I visited Sir Henry

Newton at Charlton, where I met the Earl of Winchelsea and Lady

Beauchamp, daughter to the Lord Capel.

On Sunday afternoon, I frequently staid at home to catechize and instruct

my family, those exercises universally ceasing in the parish churches, so

as people had no principles, and grew very ignorant of even the common

points of Christianity; all devotion being now placed in hearing sermons

and discourses of speculative and national things.

26th September, 1655. I went to see Colonel Blount's subterranean warren,

and drank of the wine of his vineyard, which was good for little.

30th September, 1655. Sir Nicholas Crisp came to treat with me about his

vast design of a mole to be made for ships in part of my grounds at Sayes

Court.

3d November, 1655. I had accidentally discourse with a Persian and a

Greek concerning the devastation of Poland by the late incursion of the

Swedes.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

27th November, 1655. To London about Sir Nicholas Crisp's designs.

I went to see York House and gardens, belonging to the former great

Buckingham, but now much ruined through neglect.

Thence, to visit honest and learned Mr. Hartlib, a public spirited and

ingenious person, who had propagated many useful things and arts. He told

me of the castles which they set for ornament on their stoves in Germany

(he himself being a Lithuanian, as I remember), which are furnished with

small ordnance of silver on the battlements, out of which they discharge

excellent perfumes about the rooms, charging them with a little powder to

set them on fire, and disperse the smoke: and in truth no more than need,

for their stoves are sufficiently nasty. He told me of an ink that would

give a dozen copies, moist sheets of paper being pressed on it; and

remain perfect; and a receipt how to take off any print without the least

injury to the original. This gentleman was master of innumerable

curiosities, and very communicative. I returned home that evening by

water; and was afflicted for it with a cold that had almost killed me.

This day, came forth the Protector's Edict, or Proclamation, prohibiting

all ministers of the Church of England from preaching or teaching any

schools, in which he imitated the apostate, Julian; with the decimation

of all the royal party's revenues throughout England.

14th December, 1655. I visited Mr. Hobbes, the famous philosopher of

Malmesbury, with whom I had been long acquainted in France.

Now were the Jews admitted.

25th December, 1655. There was no more notice taken of Christmas-day in

churches.

I went to London, where Dr. Wild preached the funeral sermon of

Preaching, this being the last day; after which Cromwell's proclamation

was to take place, that none of the Church of England should dare either

to preach, or administer Sacraments, teach schools, etc., on pain of

imprisonment, or exile. So this was the most mournful day that in my life

I had seen, or the Church of England herself, since the Reformation; to

the great rejoicing of both Papist and Presbyter.[54] So pathetic was

his discourse, that it drew many tears from the auditory. Myself, wife,

and some of our family, received the Communion, God make me thankful, who

hath hitherto provided for us the food of our souls as well as bodies!

The Lord Jesus pity our distressed Church, and bring back the captivity

of Zion!

[Footnote 54: The text was 2 Cor. xiii 9. That, however persecution

dealt with the Ministers of God's Word, they were still to pray for

the flock, and wish their perfection, as it was the flock to pray

for and assist their pastors, by the example of St. Paul.--EVELYN'S

NOTE.]

5th January, 1655-56. Came to visit me my Lord Lisle, son to the Earl of

Leicester, with Sir Charles Ouseley, two of the Usurper's council; Mr.

John Hervey, and John Denham, the poet.

18th January, 1656. Went to Eltham on foot, being a great frost, but a

mist falling as I returned, gave me such a rheum as kept me within doors

near a whole month after.

5th February, 1656. Was shown me a pretty perspective and well

represented in a triangular box, the great Church of Haarlem in Holland,

to be seen through a small hole at one of the corners, and contrived into

a handsome cabinet. It was so rarely done, that all the artists and

painters in town flocked to see and admire it.

10th February, 1656. I heard Dr. Wilkins preach before the Lord Mayor in

St. Paul's, showing how obedience was preferable to sacrifice. He was a

most obliging person, who had married the Protector's sister, and took

great pains to preserve the Universities from the ignorant, sacrilegious

commanders and soldiers, who would fain have demolished all places and

persons that pretended to learning.

11th February, 1656. I ventured to go to Whitehall, where of many years I

had not been, and found it very glorious and well furnished, as far as I

could safely go, and was glad to find they had not much defaced that rare

piece of Henry VII., etc., done on the walls of the King's privy chamber.

14th February, 1656. I dined with Mr. Berkeley, son of Lord Berkeley, of

Berkeley Castle, where I renewed my acquaintance with my Lord Bruce, my

fellow-traveler in Italy.

19th February, 1656. Went with Dr. Wilkins to see Barlow, the famous

painter of fowls, beasts, and birds.

4th March, 1656. This night I was invited by Mr. Roger L'Estrange to hear

the incomparable Lubicer on the violin. His variety on a few notes and

plain ground, with that wonderful dexterity, was admirable. Though a

young man, yet so perfect and skillful, that there was nothing, however

cross and perplexed, brought to him by our artists, which he did not play

off at sight with ravishing sweetness and improvements, to the

astonishment of our best masters. In sum, he played on the single

instrument a full concert, so as the rest flung down their instruments,

acknowledging the victory. As to my own particular, I stand to this hour

amazed that God should give so great perfection to so young a person.

There were at that time as excellent in their profession as any were

thought to be in Europe, Paul Wheeler, Mr. Mell, and others, till this

prodigy appeared. I can no longer question the effects we read of in

David's harp to charm evil spirits, or what is said some particular notes

produced in the passions of Alexander, and that King of Denmark.

12th April, 1656. Mr. Berkeley and Mr. Robert Boyle (that excellent

person and great virtuoso), Dr. Taylor, and Dr. Wilkins, dined with me at

Sayes Court, when I presented Dr. Wilkins with my rare burning-glass. In

the afternoon, we all went to Colonel Blount's, to see his newly-invented

plows.

22d April, 1656. Came to see Mr. Henshaw and Sir William Paston's son,

since Earl of Yarmouth. Afterward, I went to see his Majesty's house at

Eltham, both palace and chapel in miserable ruins, the noble woods and

park destroyed by Rich, the rebel.

6th May, 1656. I brought Monsieur le Franc, a young French Sorbonnist, a

proselyte, to converse with Dr. Taylor; they fell to dispute on original

sin, in Latin, upon a book newly published by the Doctor, who was much

satisfied with the young man. Thence, to see Mr. Dugdale, our learned

antiquary and herald. Returning, I was shown the three vast volumes of

Father Kircher's, "_Obeliscus Pamphilius_" and "_Ægyptiacus_"; in the

second volume I found the hieroglyphic I first communicated and sent to

him at Rome by the hands of Mr. Henshaw, whom he mentions; I designed it

from the stone itself brought me to Venice from Cairo by Captain Powell.

7th May, 1656. I visited Dr. Taylor, and prevailed on him to propose

Monsieur le Franc to the Bishop that he might have Orders, I having

sometime before brought him to a full consent to the Church of England,

her doctrine and discipline, in which he had till of late made some

difficulty; so he was this day ordained both deacon and priest by the

Bishop of Meath. I paid the fees to his lordship, who was very poor and

in great want; to that necessity were our clergy reduced! In the

afternoon I met Alderman Robinson, to treat with Mr. Papillion about the

marriage of my cousin, George Tuke, with Mrs. Fontaine.

8th May, 1656. I went to visit Dr. Wilkins, at Whitehall, when I first

met with Sir P. Neal, famous for his optic glasses. Greatorix, the

mathematical instrument maker, showed me his excellent invention to

quench fire.

12th May, 1656. Was published my "Essay on Lucretius," with innumerable

errata by the negligence of Mr. Triplet, who undertook the correction of

the press in my absence. Little of the Epicurean philosophy was then

known among us.

28th May, 1656. I dined with Nieuport, the Holland Ambassador, who

received me with extraordinary courtesy. I found him a judicious, crafty,

and wise man. He gave me excellent cautions as to the danger of the

times, and the circumstances our nation was in. I remember the

observation he made upon the ill success of our former Parliaments, and

their private animosities, and little care of the public.

Came to visit me the old Marquis of Argyle (since executed), Lord

Lothian, and some other Scotch noblemen, all strangers to me. Note, the

Marquis took the turtle-doves in the aviary for owls.

The Earl of Southampton (since Treasurer) and Mr. Spencer, brother to the

Earl of Sunderland, came to see my garden.

7th July, 1656. I began my journey to see some parts of the northeast of

England; but the weather was so excessively hot and dusty, I shortened my

progress.

8th July, 1656. To Colchester, a fair town, but now wretchedly demolished

by the late siege, especially the suburbs, which were all burned, but

were then repairing. The town is built on a rising ground, having fair

meadows on one side, and a river with a strong ancient castle, said to

have been built by King Coilus, father of Helena, mother of Constantine

the Great, of whom I find no memory save at the pinnacle of one of their

wool-staple houses, where is a statue of Coilus, in wood, wretchedly

carved. The walls are exceedingly strong, deeply trenched, and filled

with earth. It has six gates, and some watchtowers, and some handsome

churches. But what was shown us as a kind of miracle, at the outside of

the Castle, the wall where Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle, those

valiant and noble persons who so bravely behaved themselves in the last

siege, were barbarously shot, murdered by Ireton in cold blood, after

surrendering on articles; having been disappointed of relief from the

Scotch army, which had been defeated with the King at Worcester. The

place was bare of grass for a large space, all the rest of it abounding

with herbage. For the rest, this is a ragged and factious town, now

swarming with sectaries. Their trading is in cloth with the Dutch, and

baize and says with Spain; it is the only place in England where these

stuffs are made unsophisticated. It is also famous for oysters and eringo

root, growing hereabout, and candied for sale.

Went to Dedham, a pretty country town, having a very fair church, finely

situated, the valley well watered. Here, I met with Dr. Stokes, a young

gentleman, but an excellent mathematician. This is a clothing town, as

most are in Essex, but lies in the unwholesome hundreds.

Hence to Ipswich, doubtless one of the sweetest, most pleasant,

well-built towns in England. It has twelve fair churches, many noble

houses, especially the Lord Devereux's; a brave quay, and commodious

harbor, being about seven miles from the main; an ample market place.

Here was born the great Cardinal Wolsey, who began a palace here, which

was not finished.

I had the curiosity to visit some Quakers here in prison; a new fanatic

sect, of dangerous principles, who show no respect to any man,

magistrate, or other, and seem a melancholy, proud sort of people, and

exceedingly ignorant. One of these was said to have fasted twenty days;

but another, endeavoring to do the like, perished on the 10th, when he

would have eaten, but could not.

10th July, 1656. I returned homeward, passing again through Colchester;

and, by the way, near the ancient town of Chelmsford, saw New Hall, built

in a park by Henry VII. and VIII., and given by Queen Elizabeth to the

Earl of Sussex, who sold it to the late great Duke of Buckingham, and

since seized on by Oliver Cromwell (pretended Protector). It is a fair

old house, built with brick, low, being only of two stories, as the

manner then was; the gate-house better; the court, large and pretty; the

staircase, of extraordinary wideness, with a piece representing Sir

Francis Drake's action in the year 1580, an excellent sea-piece; the

galleries are trifling; the hall is noble; the garden a fair plot, and

the whole seat well accommodated with water; but, above all, I admired

the fair avenue planted with stately lime trees, in four rows, for near a

mile in length. It has three descents, which is the only fault, and may

be reformed. There is another fair walk of the same at the mall and

wilderness, with a tennis-court, and pleasant terrace toward the park,

which was well stored with deer and ponds.

11th July, 1656. Came home by Greenwich ferry, where I saw Sir J.

Winter's project of charring sea-coal, to burn out the sulphur, and

render it sweet. He did it by burning the coals in such earthen pots as

the glass men melt their metal, so firing them without consuming them,

using a bar of iron in each crucible, or pot, which bar has a hook at one

end, that so the coals being melted in a furnace with other crude

sea-coals under them, may be drawn out of the pots sticking to the iron,

whence they are beaten off in great half-exhausted cinders, which being

rekindled, make a clear, pleasant chamber-fire, deprived of their sulphur

and arsenic malignity. What success it may have, time will discover.[55]

[Footnote 55: Many years ago, Lord Dundonald revived the project,

with the proposed improvement of extracting and saving the tar.

Unfortunately he did not profit by it. The coal thus charred is sold

as COKE, a very useful fuel for many purposes.]

[Sidenote: LONDON]

3d August, 1656. I went to London, to receive the Blessed Sacrament, the

first time the Church of England was reduced to a chamber and

conventicle; so sharp was the persecution. The parish churches were

filled with sectaries of all sorts, blasphemous and ignorant mechanics

usurping the pulpits everywhere. Dr. Wild preached in a private house in

Fleet Street, where we had a great meeting of zealous Christians, who

were generally much more devout and religious than in our greatest

prosperity. In the afternoon, I went to the French Church in the Savoy,

where I heard Monsieur d'Espagne catechize, and so returned to my house.

20th August, 1656. Was a confused election of Parliament called by the

Usurper.

7th September, 1656. I went to take leave of my excellent neighbor and

friend, Sir. H. Newton and lady, now going to dwell at Warwick; and Mr.

Needham, my dear and learned friend, came to visit me.

14th September, 1656. Now was old Sir Henry Vane[56] sent to Carisbrook

Castle, in Wight, for a foolish book he published; the pretended

Protector fortifying himself exceedingly, and sending many to prison.

[Footnote 56: Evelyn means the younger Vane. This was "Vane, young

in years, but in sage counsel old," the nobleness and independence

of whose character, as well as his claims to the affection of

posterity, are not ill expressed in the two facts recorded by

Evelyn--his imprisonment by Cromwell, and his judicial murder by

Charles II. The foolish book to which Evelyn refers was an able and

fearless attack on Cromwell's government.]

2d October, 1656. Came to visit me my cousin, Stephens, and Mr. Pierce

(since head of Magdalen College, Oxford), a learned minister of Brington,

in Northamptonshire, and Captain Cooke, both excellent musicians.

2d November, 1656. There was now nothing practical preached, or that

pressed reformation of life, but high and speculative points and strains

that few understood, which left people very ignorant, and of no steady

principles, the source of all our sects and divisions, for there was much

envy and uncharity in the world; God of his mercy amend it! Now, indeed,

that I went at all to church, while these usurpers possessed the pulpits,

was that I might not be suspected for a Papist, and that, though the

minister was Presbyterianly affected, he yet was as I understood duly

ordained, and preached sound doctrine after their way, and besides was an

humble, harmless, and peaceable man.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

25th December, 1656. I went to London, to receive the Blessed Communion,

this holy festival at Dr. Wild's lodgings, where I rejoiced to find so

full an assembly of devout and sober Christians.

26th December, 1656. I invited some of my neighbors and tenants,

according to custom, and to preserve hospitality and charity.

28th December, 1656. A stranger preached on Luke xviii. 7, 8, on which he

made a confused discourse, with a great deal of Greek and ostentation of

learning, to but little purpose.

30th December, 1656. Dined with me Sir William Paston's son, Mr. Henshaw,

and Mr. Clayton.

31st December, 1656. I begged God's blessing and mercies for his goodness

to me the past year, and set my domestic affairs in order.

1st January, 1656-57. Having prayed with my family, and celebrated the

anniversary, I spent some time in imploring God's blessing the year I was

entered into.

7th January, 1657. Came Mr. Matthew Wren (since secretary to the Duke),

slain in the Dutch war, eldest son to the Bishop of Ely, now a prisoner

in the Tower; a most worthy and honored gentleman.

10th January, 1657. Came Dr. Joyliffe, that famous physician and

anatomist, first detector of the lymphatic veins; also the old Marquis of

Argyle, and another Scotch Earl.

5th February, 1657. Dined at the Holland Ambassador's; he told me the

East India Company of Holland had constantly a stock of £400,000 in

India, and forty-eight men-of-war there: he spoke of their exact and just

keeping their books and correspondence, so as no adventurer's stock could

possibly be lost, or defeated; that it was a vulgar error that the

Hollanders furnished their enemies with powder and ammunition for their

money, though engaged in a cruel war, but that they used to merchandise

indifferently, and were permitted to sell to the friends of their

enemies. He laughed at our Committee of Trade, as composed of men wholly

ignorant of it, and how they were the ruin of commerce, by gratifying

some for private ends.

10th February, 1657. I went to visit the governor of Havannah, a brave,

sober, valiant Spanish gentleman, taken by Captain Young, of Deptford,

when, after twenty years being in the Indies, and amassing great wealth,

his lady and whole family, except two sons, were burned, destroyed, and

taken within sight of Spain, his eldest son, daughter, and wife,

perishing with immense treasure. One son, of about seventeen years old,

with his brother of one year old, were the only ones saved. The young

gentleman, about seventeen, was a well-complexioned youth, not

olive-colored; he spoke Latin handsomely, was extremely well-bred, and

born in the Caraccas, 1,000 miles south of the equinoctial, near the

mountains of Potosi; he had never been in Europe before. The Governor was

an ancient gentleman of great courage, of the order of St. Jago, sorely

wounded in his arm, and his ribs broken; he lost for his own share

£100,000 sterling, which he seemed to bear with exceeding indifference,

and nothing dejected. After some discourse, I went with them to Arundel

House, where they dined. They were now going back into Spain, having

obtained their liberty from Cromwell. An example of human vicissitude!

[Sidenote: LONDON]

14th February, 1657. To London, where I found Mrs. Cary; next day came Mr.

Mordaunt (since Viscount Mordaunt), younger son to the Countess of

Peterborough, to see his mistress, bringing with him two of my Lord of

Dover's daughters: so, after dinner, they all departed.

5th March, 1657. Dr. Rand, a learned physician, dedicated to me his

version of Gassendi's "_Vita Peiriskii_."

25th March, 1657. Dr. Taylor showed me his MS. of "Cases of Conscience,"

or "_Ductor Dubitantium_," now fitted for the press.

The Protector Oliver, now affecting kingship, is petitioned to take the

title on him by all his newly-made sycophant lords, etc.; but dares not,

for fear of the fanatics, not thoroughly purged out of his rebel army.

21st April, 1657. Came Sir Thomas Hanmer, of Hanmer, in Wales, to see me.

I then waited on my Lord Hatton, with whom I dined: at my return, I

stepped into Bedlam, where I saw several poor, miserable creatures in

chains; one of them was mad with making verses. I also visited the

Charter House, formerly belonging to the Carthusians, now an old, neat,

fresh, solitary college for decayed gentlemen. It has a grove, bowling

green, garden, chapel, and a hall where they eat in common. I likewise

saw Christ Church and Hospital, a very good Gothic building; the hall,

school, and lodgings in great order for bringing up many hundreds of poor

children of both sexes; it is an exemplary charity. There is a large

picture at one end of the hall, representing the governors, founders, and

the institution.

25th April, 1657. I had a dangerous fall out of the coach in Covent

Garden, going to my brother's, but without harm; the Lord be praised!

1st May, 1657. Divers soldiers were quartered at my house; but I thank

God went away the next day toward Flanders.

5th May, 1657. I went with my cousin, George Tuke, to see Baynard, in

Surrey, a house of my brother Richard's, which he would have hired. This

is a very fair, noble residence, built in a park, and having one of the

goodliest avenues of oaks up to it that ever I saw: there is a pond of 60

acres near it; the windows of the chief rooms are of very fine painted

glass. The situation is excessively dirty and melancholy.

15th May, 1657. Lawrence, President of Oliver's Council, and some other

of his Court-Lords, came in the afternoon to see my garden and

plantations.

7th June, 1657. My fourth son was born, christened George (after my

grandfather); Dr. Jeremy Taylor officiated in the drawing-room.

18th June, 1657. At Greenwich I saw a sort of cat[57] brought from the

East Indies, shaped and snouted much like the Egyptian racoon, in the

body like a monkey, and so footed; the ears and tail like a cat, only the

tail much longer, and the skin variously ringed with black and white;

with the tail it wound up its body like a serpent, and so got up into

trees, and with it would wrap its whole body round. Its hair was woolly

like a lamb; it was exceedingly nimble, gentle, and purred as does the

cat.

[Footnote 57: This was probably the animal called a Mocock

(_maucaco_), since well known.]

16th July, 1657. On Dr. Jeremy Taylor's recommendation, I went to Eltham,

to help one Moody, a young man, to that living, by my interest with the

patron.

6th August, 1657. I went to see Colonel Blount, who showed me the

application of the waywiser[58] to a coach, exactly measuring the miles,

and showing them by an index as we went on. It had three circles, one

pointing to the number of rods, another to the miles, by 10 to 1,000,

with all the subdivisions of quarters; very pretty and useful.

[Footnote 58: Beckmann, in his "History of Inventions," has written

an account of the different instruments applied to carriages to

measure the distance they pass over. He places the first

introduction of the _adometer_ in England at about the end of the

seventeenth century, instead of about the middle, and states it to

have been the invention of an ingenious artist named Butterfield.]

10th August, 1657. Our vicar, from John xviii. 36, declaimed against the

folly of a sort of enthusiasts and desperate zealots, called the

FIFTH-MONARCHY-MEN, pretending to set up the kingdom of Christ with the

sword. To this pass was this age arrived when we had no King in Israel.

21st August, 1657. Fell a most prodigious rain in London, and the year

was very sickly in the country.

1st September, 1657. I visited Sir Edmund Bowyer, at his melancholy seat

at Camberwell. He has a very pretty grove of oaks, and hedges of yew in

his garden, and a handsome row of tall elms before his court.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

15th September, 1657. Going to London with some company, we stepped in to

see a famous rope-dancer, called THE TURK. I saw even to astonishment the

agility with which he performed. He walked barefooted, taking hold by his

toes only of a rope almost perpendicular, and without so much as touching

it with his hands; he danced blind-fold on the high rope, and with a boy

of twelve years old tied to one of his feet about twenty feet beneath

him, dangling as he danced, yet he moved as nimbly as if it had been but

a feather. Lastly, he stood on his head, on the top of a very high mast,

danced on a small rope that was very slack, and finally flew down the

perpendicular, on his breast, his head foremost, his legs and arms

extended, with divers other activities.--I saw the hairy woman, twenty

years old, whom I had before seen when a child. She was born at Augsburg,

in Germany. Her very eyebrows were combed upward, and all her _forehead_

as thick and even as grows on any woman's head, neatly dressed; a very

long lock of hair out of each ear; she had also a most prolix beard, and

_moustachios_, with long locks growing on the middle of her nose, like an

Iceland dog exactly, the color of a bright brown, fine as well-dressed

flax. She was now married, and told me she had one child that was not

hairy, nor were any of her parents, or relations. She was very well

shaped, and played well on the harpsichord.

17th September, 1657. To see Sir Robert Needham, at Lambeth, a relation

of mine; and thence to John Tradescant's museum, in which the chiefest

rarities were, in my opinion, the ancient Roman, Indian, and other

nations' armor, shields, and weapons; some habits of curiously-colored

and wrought feathers, one from the phoenix wing, as tradition goes.

Other innumerable things there were printed in his catalogue by Mr.

Ashmole, to whom after the death of the widow they are bequeathed, and by

him designed as a gift to Oxford.

19th October, 1657. I went to see divers gardens about London: returning,

I saw at Dr. Joyliffe's two Virginian rattlesnakes alive, exceeding a

yard in length, small heads, slender tails, but in the middle nearly the

size of my leg; when vexed, swiftly vibrating and shaking their tails, as

loud as a child's rattle; this, by the collision of certain gristly skins

curiously jointed, yet loose, and transparent as parchment, by which they

give warning; a providential caution for other creatures to avoid them.

The Doctor tried their biting on rats and mice, which they immediately

killed: but their vigor must needs be much exhausted here, in another

climate, and kept only in a barrel of bran.

22d October, 1657. To town, to visit the Holland Ambassador, with whom I

had now contracted much friendly correspondence, useful to the

intelligence I constantly gave his Majesty abroad.

26th November, 1657. I went to London, to a court of the East India

Company on its new union, in Merchant-Taylors' Hall, where was much

disorder by reason of the Anabaptists, who would have the adventurers

obliged only by an engagement, without swearing, that they still might

pursue their private trade; but it was carried against them. Wednesday

was fixed on for a general court for election of officers, after a sermon

and prayers for good success. The Stock resolved on was £800,000.

27th November, 1657. I took the oath at the East India House, subscribing

£500.

2d December, 1657. Dr. Raynolds (since Bishop of Norwich) preached before

the company at St. Andrew Under-shaft, on Nehemiah xiii. 31, showing, by

the example of Nehemiah, all the perfections of a trusty person in

public affairs, with many good precepts apposite to the occasion, ending

with a prayer for God's blessing on the company and the undertaking.

3d December, 1657. Mr. Gunning preached on John iii. 3, against the

Anabaptists, showing the effect and necessity of the sacrament of

baptism. This sect was now wonderfully spread.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

25th December, 1657. I went to London with my wife, to celebrate

Christmas-day, Mr. Gunning preaching in Exeter chapel, on Micah vii. 2.

Sermon ended, as he was giving us the Holy Sacrament, the chapel was

surrounded with soldiers, and all the communicants and assembly surprised

and kept prisoners by them, some in the house, others carried away. It

fell to my share to be confined to a room in the house, where yet I was

permitted to dine with the master of it, the Countess of Dorset, Lady

Hatton, and some others of quality who invited me. In the afternoon, came

Colonel Whalley, Goffe, and others, from Whitehall, to examine us one by

one; some they committed to the marshal, some to prison. When I came

before them, they took my name and abode, examined me why, contrary to

the ordinance made, that none should any longer observe the superstitious

time of the nativity (so esteemed by them), I durst offend, and

particularly be at common prayers, which they told me was but the mass in

English, and particularly pray for Charles Stuart; for which we had no

Scripture. I told them we did not pray for Charles Stuart, but for all

Christian kings, princes, and governors. They replied, in so doing we

prayed for the king of Spain, too, who was their enemy and a Papist, with

other frivolous and ensnaring questions, and much threatening; and,

finding no color to detain me, they dismissed me with much pity of my

ignorance. These were men of high flight and above ordinances, and spoke

spiteful things of our Lord's nativity. As we went up to receive the

Sacrament, the miscreants held their muskets against us, as if they would

have shot us at the altar; but yet suffering us to finish the office of

Communion, as perhaps not having instructions what to do, in case they

found us in that action. So I got home late the next day; blessed be God!

27th January, 1657-58. After six fits of a quartan ague, with which it

pleased God to visit him, died my dear son, Richard, to our

inexpressible grief and affliction, five years and three days old only,

but at that tender age a prodigy for wit and understanding; for beauty of

body, a very angel; for endowment of mind, of incredible and rare hopes.

To give only a little taste of them, and thereby glory to God, who "out

of the mouths of babes and infants does sometimes perfect his praises,"

he had learned all his catechism; at two years and a half old, he could

perfectly read any of the English, Latin, French, or Gothic letters,

pronouncing the first three languages exactly. He had, before the fifth

year, or in that year, not only skill to read most written hands, but to

decline all the nouns, conjugate the verbs regular, and most of the

irregular; learned out "Puerilis," got by heart almost the entire

vocabulary of Latin and French primitives and words, could make congruous

syntax, turn English into Latin, and _vice versâ_, construe and prove

what he read, and did the government and use of relatives, verbs,

substantives, ellipses, and many figures and tropes, and made a

considerable progress in Comenius's "_Janua_"; began himself to write

legibly, and had a strong passion for Greek. The number of verses he

could recite was prodigious, and what he remembered of the parts of

plays, which he would also act; and, when seeing a Plautus in one's hand,

he asked what book it was, and, being told it was comedy, and too

difficult for him, he wept for sorrow. Strange was his apt and ingenious

application of fables and morals; for he had read Æsop; he had a

wonderful disposition to mathematics, having by heart divers propositions

of Euclid that were read to him in play, and he would make lines and

demonstrate them. As to his piety, astonishing were his applications of

Scripture upon occasion, and his sense of God; he had learned all his

catechism early, and understood the historical part of the Bible and New

Testament to a wonder, how Christ came to redeem mankind, and how,

comprehending these necessaries himself, his godfathers were discharged

of their promise.

These and the like illuminations, far exceeding his age and experience,

considering the prettiness of his address and behavior, cannot but leave

impressions in me at the memory of him. When one told him how many days a

Quaker had fasted, he replied that was no wonder; for Christ had said

that man should not live by bread alone, but by the Word of God. He would

of himself select the most pathetic psalms, and chapters out of Job, to

read to his maid during his sickness, telling her, when she pitied him,

that all God's children must suffer affliction. He declaimed against the

vanities of the world, before he had seen any. Often he would desire

those who came to see him to pray by him, and a year before he fell sick,

to kneel and pray with him alone in some corner. How thankfully would he

receive admonition! how soon be reconciled! how indifferent, yet

continually cheerful! He would give grave advice to his brother, John,

bear with his impertinences, and say he was but a child. If he heard of

or saw any new thing, he was unquiet till he was told how it was made; he

brought to us all such difficulties as he found in books, to be

expounded. He had learned by heart divers sentences in Latin and Greek,

which, on occasion, he would produce even to wonder. He was all life, all

prettiness, far from morose, sullen, or childish in anything he said or

did. The last time he had been at church (which was at Greenwich), I

asked him, according to custom, what he remembered of the sermon; two

good things, Father, said he, _bonum gratiæ_ and _bonum gloriæ_, with a

just account of what the preacher said.

The day before he died, he called to me: and in a more serious manner

than usual, told me that for all I loved him so dearly I should give my

house, land, and all my fine things to his brother Jack, he should have

none of them; and, the next morning, when he found himself ill, and that

I persuaded him to keep his hands in bed, he demanded whether he might

pray to God with his hands unjoined; and a little after, while in great

agony, whether he should not offend God by using his holy name so often

calling for ease. What shall I say of his frequent pathetical

ejaculations uttered of himself: "Sweet Jesus, save me, deliver me,

pardon my sins, let thine angels receive me!" So early knowledge, so much

piety and perfection! But thus God, having dressed up a saint fit for

himself, would not longer permit him with us, unworthy of the future

fruits of this incomparable hopeful blossom. Such a Child I never saw:

for such a child I bless God, in whose bosom he is! May I and mine

become as this little child, who now follows the child Jesus that Lamb of

God in a white robe, whithersoever he goes; even so, Lord Jesus, _fiat

voluntas tua_! Thou gavest him to us, thou hast taken him from us,

blessed be the name of the Lord! That I had anything acceptable to thee

was from thy grace alone, seeing from me he had nothing but sin, but that

thou hast pardoned! blessed be my God for ever, Amen.

In my opinion, he was suffocated by the women and maids that attended

him, and covered him too hot with blankets as he lay in a cradle, near an

excessive hot fire in a close room. I suffered him to be opened, when

they found that he was what is vulgarly called liver-grown. I caused his

body to be coffined in lead, and deposited on the 30th at eight o'clock

that night in the church at Deptford, accompanied with divers of my

relations and neighbors, among whom I distributed rings with this motto:

"_Dominus abstulit_;" intending, God willing, to have him transported

with my own body to be interred in our dormitory in Wotton Church, in my

dear native county of Surrey, and to lay my bones and mingle my dust with

my fathers, if God be gracious to me, and make me as fit for him as this

blessed child was. The Lord Jesus sanctify this and all other my

afflictions, Amen.

Here ends the joy of my life, and for which I go even mourning to the

grave.

15th February, 1658. The afflicting hand of God being still upon us, it

pleased him also to take away from us this morning my youngest son,

George, now seven weeks languishing at nurse, breeding teeth, and ending

in a dropsy. God's holy will be done! He was buried in Deptford Church,

the 17th following.

25th February, 1658. Came Dr. Jeremy Taylor, and my brothers, with other

friends, to visit and condole with us.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

7th March, 1658. To London, to hear Dr. Taylor in a private house on Luke

xiii. 23, 24. After the sermon, followed the blessed Communion, of which

I participated. In the afternoon, Dr. Gunning, at Exeter House,

expounding part of the Creed.

This had been the severest winter that any man alive had known in

England. The crows' feet were frozen to their prey. Islands of ice

inclosed both fish and fowl frozen, and some persons in their boats.

15th May, 1658, was a public fast, to avert an epidemical sickness, very

mortal this spring.

20th May, 1658. I went to see a coach race in Hyde Park, and collationed

in Spring Garden.

23d May, 1658. Dr. Manton, the famous Presbyterian, preached at Covent

Garden, on Matthew vi. 10, showing what the kingdom of God was, how pray

for it, etc.

There was now a collection for persecuted and sequestered Ministers of

the Church of England, whereof divers are in prison. A sad day! The

Church now in dens and caves of the earth.

31st May, 1658. I went to visit my Lady Peterborough, whose son, Mr.

Mordaunt, prisoner in the Tower, was now on his trial, and acquitted but

by one voice; but that holy martyr, Dr. Hewer, was condemned to die

without law, jury, or justice, but by a mock Council of State, as they

called it. A dangerous, treacherous time!

2d June, 1658. An extraordinary storm of hail and rain, the season as

cold as winter, the wind northerly near six months.

3d June, 1658. A large whale was taken between my land abutting on the

Thames and Greenwich, which drew an infinite concourse to see it, by

water, horse, coach, and on foot, from London, and all parts. It appeared

first below Greenwich at low water, for at high water it would have

destroyed all the boats, but lying now in shallow water encompassed with

boats, after a long conflict, it was killed with a harping iron, struck

in the head, out of which spouted blood and water by two tunnels; and

after a horrid groan, it ran quite on shore, and died. Its length was

fifty-eight feet, height sixteen; black skinned, like coach leather; very

small eyes, great tail, only two small fins, a peaked snout and a mouth

so wide, that divers men might have stood upright in it; no teeth, but

sucked the slime only as through a grate of that bone which we call

whalebone; the throat yet so narrow, as would not have admitted the least

of fishes. The extremes of the cetaceous bones hang downward from the

upper jaw, and are hairy toward the ends and bottom within side: all of

it prodigious; but in nothing more wonderful than that an animal of so

great a bulk should be nourished only by slime through those grates.

8th June, 1658. That excellent preacher and holy man, Dr. Hewer, was

martyred for having intelligence with his Majesty, through the Lord

Marquis of Ormond.

9th June, 1658. I went to see the Earl of Northumberland's pictures,

whereof that of the Venetian Senators was one of the best of Titian's and

another of Andrea del Sarto, viz, a Madonna, Christ, St. John, and an Old

Woman; a St. Catherine of Da Vinci, with divers portraits of Vandyck; a

Nativity of Georgioni; the last of our blessed Kings (Charles I.), and

the Duke of York, by Lely, a Rosary by the famous Jesuits of Brussels,

and several more. This was in Suffolk House: the new front toward the

gardens is tolerable, were it not drowned by a too massy and clumsy pair

of stairs of stone, without any neat invention.

10th June, 1658. I went to see the Medical Garden at Westminster, well

stored with plants, under Morgan, a very skillful botanist.

26th June, 1658. To Eltham, to visit honest Mr. Owen.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

3d July, 1658. To London, and dined with Mr. Henshaw, Mr. Dorell, and Mr.

Ashmole, founder of the Oxford repository of rarities, with divers

doctors of physic and virtuosos.

15th July, 1658. Came to see my Lord Kilmurry and Lady, Sir Robert

Needham, Mr. Offley, and two daughters of my Lord Willoughby, of Parham.

3d August, 1658. Went to Sir John Evelyn at Godstone. The place is

excellent, but might be improved by turning some offices of the house,

and removing the garden. The house being a noble fabric, though not

comparable to what was first built by my uncle, who was master of all the

powder mills.

5th August, 1658. We went to Squirries to visit my Cousin Leech, daughter

to Sir John; a pretty, finely wooded, well watered seat, the stables

good, the house old, but convenient. 6th. Returned to Wotton.

10th August, 1658. I dined at Mr. Carew Raleigh's, at Horsley, son to the

famous Sir Walter.

14th August, 1658. We went to Durdans [at Epsom] to a challenged match at

bowls for £10, which we won.

18th August, 1658. To Sir Ambrose Browne, at Betchworth Castle, in that

tempestuous wind which threw down my greatest trees at Sayes Court, and

did so much mischief all over England. It continued the whole night;

and, till three in the afternoon of the next day, in the southwest, and

destroyed all our winter fruit.

3d September, 1658. Died that arch-rebel, Oliver Cromwell, called

Protector.

16th September, 1658. Was published my translation of St. Chrysostom on

"Education of Children," which I dedicated to both my brothers to comfort

them on the loss of their children.

21st September, 1658. My Lord Berkeley, of Berkeley Castle, invited me to

dinner.

26th September, 1658. Mr. King preached at Ashted, on Proverbs xv. 24; a

Quaker would have disputed with him. In the afternoon, we heard Dr.

Hacket (since Bishop of Litchfield) at Cheam, where the family of the

Lumleys lie buried.

27th September, 1658. To Beddington, that ancient seat of the Carews, a

fine old hall, but a scambling house, famous for the first orange garden

in England, being now overgrown trees, planted in the ground, and secured

in winter with a wooden tabernacle and stoves. This seat is rarely

watered, lying low, and environed with good pastures. The pomegranates

bear here. To the house is also added a fine park. Thence, to Carshalton,

excellently watered, and capable of being made a most delicious seat,

being on the sweet downs, and a champaign about it full planted with

walnut and cherry trees, which afford a considerable rent.

Riding over these downs, and discoursing with the shepherds, I found that

digging about the bottom near Sir Christopher Buckle's,[59] near

Banstead, divers medals have been found, both copper and silver, with

foundations of houses, urns, etc. Here, indeed, anciently stood a city of

the Romans. See Antonine's "Itineraries."

[Footnote 59: Not far from the course of the Roman Road from

Chichester, through Sussex, passing through Ockley, and Dorking

churchyard. Considerable remains of a Roman building have since been

found on Waltonheath, south of this house.]

29th September, 1658. I returned home, after a ten weeks' absence.

[Sidenote: LONDON]

2d October, 1658. I went to London, to receive the Holy Sacrament.

On the 3d, Dr. Wild preached in a private place on Isaiah i. 4, showing

the parallel between the sins of Israel and those of England. In the

afternoon, Mr. Hall (son to Joseph, Bishop of Norwich) on 1 Cor. vi. 2,

of the dignity of the Saints; a most excellent discourse.

4th October, 1658. I dined with the Holland ambassador, at Derby House:

returning, I diverted to see a very WHITE RAVEN, bred in Cumberland; also

a porcupine, of that kind that shoots its quills, of which see Claudian;

it was headed like a rat, the fore feet like a badger, the hind feet like

a bear.

19th October, 1658. I was summoned to London, by the commissioners for

new buildings; afterward, to the commission of sewers; but because there

was an oath to be taken of fidelity to the Government as now constituted

without a king, I got to be excused, and returned home.

22d October, 1658. Saw the superb funeral of the protector. He was

carried from Somerset House in a velvet bed of state, drawn by six

horses, housed with the same; the pall held by his new lords; Oliver

lying in effigy, in royal robes, and crowned with a crown, sceptre, and

globe, like a king. The pendants and guidons were carried by the officers

of the army; the imperial banners, achievements, etc., by the heralds in

their coats; a rich caparisoned horse, embroidered all over with gold; a

knight of honor, armed _cap-a-pie_, and, after all, his guards, soldiers,

and innumerable mourners. In this equipage, they proceeded to

Westminster: but it was the most joyful funeral I ever saw; for there

were none that cried but dogs, which the soldiers hooted away with a

barbarous noise, drinking and taking tobacco in the streets as they went.